Nickel plating

[evo550]

You mob,
I have a nickel plated frame with lots of what looks like surface rust.
Is this rust forming under the plating or just surface rust.
Is it an easy job to replate, ( read cheap), or can it be painted over?

[Tomas]

Vinegar will take the rust out but will not stop it.  Rust forms on steel so i would say it is under nickel plating just like old car bumpers used to get blisters of rust under chrome plating.  Not sure how much for replating but should not be a hard job as long as your platers bath is big enough for the frame.

[bazza]

Do your home work, striping before re plating i am told can start rust from inside ?

[Digga]

The correct process is to strip the old nickel plating, prepare again & replate = cost $$$$

And BTW, any process that involves fully submersing a tubular part (where the plating or paint cannot cover internally), then yes corrosion can weep from inside the tubular areas 

[LWC82PE]

It depends on what frame it is. Some may only have a couple of small holes where they are easy to block off and stop the solution entering. If it does not need to be plated again it might be better to just sandblast it  and paint. There's no doubt about it if you chemically strip it and re-plate it with out blocking off any open tubes, Its going create rust inside, most you will not know about. When i get tanks back from the chromers after being chromed -, they are covered in horrible rust on the inside and need cleaning out with hydrochloric acid. Some then need a liner, the ones that don't then need a spray of oil on the inside to stop the rust coming back before the tank gets used and filled with fuel.

[evo550]

Thanls guys,
The frame is an Atk and the plating appears to be in excellent condition, it has just spent 3 months on the high seas, so im hoping it's just some surface rust, i got my son onto polishing a patch ghis afternoon and it's all buffed out, so i'll get him to do the whole frame for $5 and monitor from there,,,, it looks to good to paint